4 Reasons Why Your 7-year-old Should Pick Up A Classic
Ever saw a classic and said “Hey, I read this in high school!” or “I did a paper about this in college.”? That short trip down memory lane rarely is not taken when coming across works like The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Oliver Twist, or even A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The sweet song of nostalgia plays as we are transported back to sleepless nights dissecting the brains of Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and the like. We swore off the interference of these men in our lives, only to recall the moments of satisfaction when finally being able to relate to these incredibly imaginative and creative minds. Adolescence is too long a time for us to deny children the privileges of immersing themselves into these classic works. Here are 4 reasons why your 7-year-old should start early.
1. Believe it or not, it instils manners.
The days of hat tipping and curtsying may be over, but simple manners like please, thank you and I’m sorry don’t have to be. We often remind our kids to say the magic “P” word whenever they want something. “Can I have this?” is always replied with a “What do you say first?” to encourage them to use the word please. Exposure to Oliver Twist will indirectly teach them this politeness that we desire. Take for example hungry little Oliver who despite his urgency to replenish himself had not forgotten his manners. Thus uttering one of literature’s most famous lines
“Please Sir, I want some more.”
2. They’ll discover learning comes in all shapes and sizes
Academic excellence is not only sought but demanded by parents and teachers alike. The race towards being the best learner is a race unending. Paper has become the indicator of brilliance rather than the supplement of. Northanger Abby and Peter Pan teach kids that life is more about adventure. They learn to go beyond what is just set in front of them.
“What if I fall?”
Oh, but my darling. What if you fly?
3. There’s power in peculiarity
Children are born a bundle of energy and holders of the universe of imagination. But as the cold of age begins to set and expressive individuals create unease to society, they are quick to conceal their emotions and character deemed unusual under thick armour. The Cheshire Cat, though, made it absolutely clear to Alice that there’s nothing wrong in being a little crazy, because there is power in embracing your peculiar. At the end of the day
“We’re all mad here.”
4. Why not?
Quoting Shakespeare,
organizing weekly dances and directing in-house plays? What better way to build up the confidence in your 7-year-old! A child’s imagination is a step further into their future. In the words of the great William Shakespeare himself,
“It is not the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
This is why ReadingLab prides itself for working with kids on good old classics.